Girls Golf: FC Shares Class A Title

It will be remembered because it is a state title. It will also be remembered because it ended abruptly. Fillmore Central girls golf took on their 10th consec-utive state tourney. What looked to be a tense finish was then halted by lightening. Meet organizers then had to do some figuring to determine the state champion, as teams had not completed the final hole(s). FC and Dawson-Boyd shared the state title, the Falcon’s second ever.

Last year’s 1A runners-up got off to a great start. The Falcons (345) topped the leaderboard after 18-holes, holding a narrow five-stroke lead over second place Dawson-Boyd (350) and an 11-stroke lead over third place Park Christian (356). The Blackjacks did not make state a year ago while Park Christian took fourth. Junior Myleigh Scheevel led the way for FC, as she sat in second place with a six-over-par 78 (37/41). She had an eagle on the second hole and no double bogeys for the day. Border West’s Paige Beyer sat in first place with a four-over 76 (37/39). Three girls sat tied for third place with eight-over 80’s; Border West’s Aspen Beyer, BOLD’s Kenna Henriksen, and Dawson-Boyd’s Lindsey Lund. The Blackjacks, FC’s closet foe, were essentially a three-girl team, with Lund, Alyssa Swedzinski (84), and Kylar Hjelmeland (84) each finishing top 10 after the first day. The latter two sat tied for 8th place. FC countered with four in the top 30. Senior Aubrey Larson shot a 13-over 85 (42/43) to tie for 11th place. Junior Annika Mensink shot an 18-over 90 (43/47) to sit in 23rd place. Junior Lily Miller shot a 20-over 92 (50/42) to tie for 27th place. But she sat 10 strokes ahead of D-B’s fourth golfer, Claire Stratmoen (102). FC’s other two golfers, Maddie Topness (55/55) and Ella Dahly (52/58) each shot 110’s to tie for 65th place.

On day two, FC’s lead evaporated in the first nine holes. Dawson-Boyd led at the turn, as Lund and Swedzinski each shot sub-40 numbers. FC did not have a sub-40 scorer the first nine holes, and top golfer Scheevel posted a quadruple bogey on hole number five. But the Falcons rallied the last nine holes. Unofficially, FC led by three strokes with four of six golfers completed, another on the 18th green, and the last waiting to tee-off on the final hole. But then the horn blew, as there was a storm and lightening in the area. The tourney was called. Event organizers than had to come up with a solution given four teams had not completed hole 18, and four more had not completed hole number nine. The solution was to get rid of those two holes completely for day two. When everything was tallied, Aaron Mensink’s Falcons and Dawson-Boyd tied for first with a collective 108-over-par score. They shared the Class A title. Park Christian was 12 strokes back in third place. The Blackjacks Lindsey Lund was the individual champion, shooting an 11-over-par (38/42, 32/35*). She had 17 pars and four birdies for the 36-hole tourney. BOLD’s Kenna Henriksen was just one stroke back (12-over-par) in taking second (39/41, 34/34*). FC’s Myleigh Scheevel (37/41, 40/35*) tied for third place with D-B’s Alyssa Swedzinski (40/44, 33/36*), and Border West’s Paige Beyer (37/39, 41/36*), as each was 17-over-par. Scheevel finished with 14 pars, two birdies, and the eagle. She took 9th place last year shooting a 36-hole 171. FC’s second-best golfer was the senior Aubrey Larson, who shot 23-over-par (42/43, 37/37*). Larson took 11th place, improving upon last year’s 17th place finish with a 34-hole 182. Annika Mensink gave FC three in the top 20. The junior shot a 29-over-par (43/47, 41/34*) to take 20th place. Both of Mensink’s birdies came in the final seven holes. She took 40th place last year, shooting a 36-hole 193. Lily Miller rounded out FC’s scoring golfers, as she shot 39-over-par (50/42, 43/40*) for 34th place. She took 30th place a year ago with a 36-hole 188. Ella Dahly (61-over-par > 52/58, 40/47*) finished tied for 58th place in her first state golf meet. Maddie Topness (74-over-par > 55/55, 46/54*) finished in 72nd place in her first state golf meet. Eighty-four girls competed. The shared championship puts FC on par with their other state title team in 2016 (Madison Scheevel, Grace Miller, Laura Donney, Tayah Barnes, Cailey Rindels, Elayna Kiehne). It avenges last year’s tough second place finish by one stroke. Scheevel joins Grace Miller (2018), sister Madison (2019), and Courtney Hershberger (2023) in finishing top three at state in FC’s dynasty. Scheevel and Larson each have been on FC’s last four state teams, as they were along for the ride as the Falcons went from fifth, to fourth, to second, to first place. FC will return five of six next year including four will-be seniors, Scheevel, Miller, Mensink, and Dahly. The meet was held at the 18-hole, par-72, Pebble Creek Golf Course in Becker. *All day two scores for 16-holes, with nine and 18 excluded.

Boys Golf: Falcon Boys Finish Fifth in Tight Team Field

Fillmore Central’s boys took on their second straight state golf tourney looking to improve upon last year’s fourth place finish. Brad Holten’s group actually moved back a placing, but posted a better team score. Said achievement was noteworthy as this year’s squad was devoid the program’s top golfer maybe ever, Jake Fishbaugher (who graduated last year). After the first day, the first 18-holes, six teams including the Falcons, shot between 320 and 333, a narrow pack. Fertile-Beltrami (320), which took third ahead of FC a year ago, led Park Christian (322), Legacy Christian Academy (324), and Walker-Hackensack-Akeley (326), as six shots separated the top four teams. FC sat in sixth place after shooting a 333, just two shots back of fifth place Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton (331). Anthony Kiehne was FC’s top scoring golfer Day 1, as he shot an eight-over-par 80. He had a seven-par, one-birdie 36 for one nine-hole round, then a 44. He sat in a four-way tie for 23rd place. Luke Hellickson was FC’s second scoring golfer, as he shot a 10-over-par 82. He posted nine-hole rounds of 42 and 40, fighting off an eight on a par-four. He sat tied for 35th. Brock Sikkink shot an 85 (45/40) to sit tied for 49th place. Brody Srsen (43/43) and Aiden Arnold (42/44) each shot 86’s to sit tied for 54th place. Josh Haugerud shot a 97 (53/44) to sit in 81st place. Day two, FC gained a spot as a team. The Falcons (649) usurped JWP (658) to take fifth place. Fertile-Beltrami (627) stayed atop the leaderboard to claim the state title over W-H-A (635) with Legacy Christian Academy (637) and Park Christian (646) taking third and fourth. The top five were separated by just 22 strokes after 36-holes of action. Hellickson continued his good play with a second 18 round of 78 (39/39). He had nothing bigger than a bogey in the span with 10 pars and a birdie. Overall, the only senior on the Falcons team shot a 16-over-par 160 (42/40, 39/39) and finished tied for 22nd place. He was FC’s top finisher. By proxy, he finished 23rd at the TRC Meet and 14th at the 1A Meet. Last year, Hellickson shot a 173 to tie for 57th-place. Kiehne dropped off a bit, shooting a Day 2 round of 82 (43/39). Arnold moved up a bunch, as he had FC’s best Day 2 round, a 76 (38/38). He was 10 strokes less than his first 18. Like Hellickson, he had nothing worse than a bogey on Day 2 (12 pars, one birdie). Kiehne (36/44, 43/39) and Arnold (42/44, 38/38) each ended up with 18-over-par 162’s for the tourney. They tied for 33rd place. Last year, Kiehne shot a 175 to take 63rd place and Arnold a 179 to take 69th place. Brock Sikkink was FC’s fourth best golfer. The junior was better on Day 2, shooting a round of 80 (38/42). Overall, he tallied a 21-over-par 165 (45/40, 38/42) to tie for 41st place. He was the fourth Falcon with at least one sub-40 nine-hole round. Last year, Sikkink shot a 170 for 49th place. Srsen and Haugerud were then down in the field. Srsen shot a Day 2 round of 99 (50/49), some 13 strokes worse the 86 (43/43) on his first 18. Overall, he was 41-over-par with a 185, taking 78th place. Last year, Srsen shot a 173 to tie for 57th-place. Haugerud got better on Day 2, shooting a round of 92 (48/44). Overall, he was 45-over-par with a 189 (53/44, 48/44), tying for 80th place. It was his first state competition. FC’s 649 team score was their best in three trips to state. Last year’s team tallied a 654 while the group in 2015 tallied a 698. FC’s score this year is the lowest of the seven “Journal-covered” boys golf teams to make state since 2011. Hellickson is the only senior. Arnold, Kiehne, Sikkink and Haugerud are all juniors while Srsen is just a freshman. Individually overall, Lakeview’s Carson Boe shot a four-under 68 (33/35) to lead Walker-Hackensack-Akeley’s Parker Brock (34/37 > 71) and Martin County West’s Hunter Schmidt (36/36 > 72) by three and four strokes respectively after Day 1. All three were either even or under par. Brock then shot a Day 2 three-under 69 (34/35) to usurp Boe, who shot a Day 2 74 (35/39). With a four-under 140, Brock took first over Boe, who shot a two-under-par 142. Brock had three birdies and then all pars on Day 2. The meet was held at the 18-hole, par-72, Pebble Creek Golf Course in Becker.

State Golf: Freshman Brogle Leads Area Individuals at State

 

Six “Journal-covered” individuals took on the state Class A golf tourney. Lanesboro sent three representatives, Jack Brogle, Addison McCabe, and Ellie McCabe. Houston sent Ethan Knutson, Rushford-Peterson Will LaFleur, and GMLO sent Gabby Tangren. Burro Brogle was the standout. He was a standout freshman at the meet (in his second state event). His first 18-holes he shot a six-over-par 78 (40/38) to find himself tied for 15th place. Brogle notched 10 pars and a birdie. His second day went similarly well, albeit ending on a sour note. Brogle was three-over-par Day 2 after 17 holes before taking a seven on the par-four 18th. Even so, he finished with a six-over 78 on the day, notching three birdies and nine pars. Overall, for the tourney he shot a 12-over-par 156 (40/38, 39/39). He tied for 14th place overall with four other guys. He was one of only three freshmen in the top 15. His finish was the highest of all “Journal-covered” male athletes and he completes a great season where he was also co-SEC Meet champion and 1A Meet champion. Brogle shot a 170 last year in tying for 49th place. R-P’s Sam LaFluer and Houston’s Ethan Knutson ended up tied after the 36-hole event. LaFleur, just an 8th grader, shot a first day 91 (47/44) to tie for 68th place. Day two, LaFleur was better, shooting an 86 (43/43). Knutson, a senior, shot a first day 94 (49/45) to tie for 79th place (of 88). Day two he shot an 83, which included his best nine-hole score, a three-birdie-inspired 37, plus a 46. Both LaFleur (47/44, 43/43) and Knutson (49/45, 37/46) shot 177 overall, 33-over-par, to tie for 68th place. Atop the leaderboard, Lakeview’s Carson Boe shot a four-under 68 (33/35) to lead Walker-Hackensack-Akeley’s Parker Brock (34/37 > 71) and Martin County West’s Hunter Schmidt (36/36 > 72) by three and four strokes respectively after Day 1. All three were either even or under par. Brock then shot a Day 2 three-under 69 (34/35) to usurp Boe, who shot a Day 2 74 (35/39). With a four-under 140, Brock took first over Boe, who shot a two-under-par 142. Brock had three birdies and then all pars on Day 2.

Lanesboro’s two gal individual golfers found themselves just past the middle of the pack after the first day in their first state experiences. Elder McCabe sister Ellie shot 29-over-par 101 (48/53) to tie for 49th place after Day 1. Younger McCabe sister Addison shot a 30-over-par 102 (52/50) to tie for 54th place after the first 18. The sisters were thus just one shot apart. GMLO’s Gabby Tangren was back two more shots, scoring a 32-over-par 104 (51/53) the first day. Tangren and Addison McCabe moved up Day 2. The freshman Tangren shot a 16-hole 84 (41/43). A-McCabe shot a 16-hole 86 (41/45). For the tourney, Tangren (51/53, 41/43*) and A-McCabe (52/50, 41/45*) each ended up 52-over-par and tied in 45th place. Ellie McCabe moved down the field on Day 2. She shot a Day 2 16-hole 89 (49/40). Overall, E-McCabe shot a 54-over-par (48/53, 49/40*) to tie for 51st place. Dawson-Boyd’s Lindsey Lund took first overall (38/43, 32/35*) with a 34-hole 11-over-par score. BOLD’s Kenna Henriksen (39/41, 34/34*) took second with a 12-over-par. Fillmore Central’s Myleigh Scheevel (37/41, 40/35*), Dawson-Boyd’s Alyssa Swedzinski (40/44, 33/36*), and Border West’s Paige Beyer (37/39, 41/36*) all tied for third place. All were 17-over-par. Beyer (76) led after Day 1 and Scheevel (78) was in second place. Because of rain, Day 2 of the boys’ tourney started late, and thus so did the afternoon-starting girls’ tourney. Lightening and storms in the area then caused an early end of the girls’ event at around 7:30 pm. Since not every girl had finished the ninth or 18th hole, those two holes were omitted from the results for fairness-sake. And thus, only 16 holes were scored for Day 2 of the girls’ tourney. The meet was held at the 18-hole, par-72, Pebble Creek Golf Course in Becker.

*The Fillmore County Journal Sports page is a written collaboration of Paul Trende and Lee Epps.